You are here

Disability Studies

Disability studies examines the nature, meaning, and consequences of disability / ability / inclusion / exclusion / normalcy / stigma in global culture from an integrated social, political, and cultural model. The Disability Studies Program at Ohio State, established in 1997, emphasizes interdisciplinary and intersectional work in disability studies. In the Department of English, where the Disability Studies Program is housed, our primary areas of interest are literature, folklore, rhetoric, composition, digital media and narrative. Accordingly, our course offerings span a wide range of disciplines, including teaching and learning, bioethics, American Sign Language, classics, speech and hearing science and many more. We treat disability as a political, cultural and social process, placing as much importance on structures, relations and representations as on individual bodies.

We value collaborative research and learning, and each year we are visited by distinguished scholars and activists. Recent visitors sponsored by the Disability Studies Program include Liat Ben-Moshe, Diana Louis, Jay Dolmage, Aimi Hamraie, MimiKhúc, Ann Fox and Michael Montoya.

Our program features an engaged group of faculty, caring advisors and passionate students. We regularly collaborate with student groups including the Disability Studies Graduate Student Association, Graduate Association for Mental Health Action and Advocacy, DISCO Graduate Caucus and Abilities. Furthermore, undergraduate students in the disability studies minor may enroll in internships and workshops for credit.